Use these search strategies to find the sources you need. Each tip helps you focus, expand, or narrow your results, so you can find relevant information more efficiently.
Click the subject headings (usually in blue) in an article record to discover related research.
Think of them as librarian-approved hashtags—they show how experts categorize your topic and help you find more relevant articles quickly.
Example: Searching “fast food” might show subject terms like “Restaurants – Social Aspects."
Put quotation marks around a phrase to search for the exact words in order.
Example: Searching for "climate change" (with quotes) returns results with that exact phrase, instead of articles that mention those two terms separately.
Look at the sources listed at the end of a good article or book—they can point you to more research.
Journal article: Check for volume, issue, and page numbers.
Book: Look for a city and publisher.
Search the title in the library catalog or journal finder to see if we have access.
👉 Set up Library Links (Settings → Library Links → add Hiram College) to connect to full text.
Use Google Scholar when you already have a citation → paste it in and see if Full Text is @ Hiram.
▶️ Watch this video.
Example (APA 7th):
Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New Criterion, 15(3), 5–13.
Ask a librarian if you’re stuck – we’re happy to help! Email library@hiram.edu
Brainstorm synonyms & related terms
global warming → climate change
college students → undergraduates → young adults
Break your topic into main ideas
fast food + health effects + teens
Mix & match terms to see different results
These “smart combining” tricks are called Boolean operators—databases and Google use them to understand how your keywords connect.
AND → Narrows your search
social media AND online classroom (results will have both words)
OR → Broadens your search
Facebook OR social media OR Twitter (results will have at least one of these words)
NOT → Excludes terms
(social media OR Facebook OR Twitter) AND online classroom NOT community college (results will exclude one term)
💡 Why it helps: This trick saves you time, cuts out irrelevant results, and helps you zoom in or out on your topic.
Combine keywords, subject terms, and filters in the advanced search to zero in on the most relevant sources.
Before browsing results, use the buttons under the search box (like Books, Articles, or Videos) to quickly limit what types of sources you're seeing.
Use filters on the right to narrow by date, subject, availability, and more.
Use the Personalize toggle at the top of your search results (not in the filters) to prioritize articles from specific disciplines. This helps when your topic is hard to describe with keywords. If you’re signed in, your choices will be saved. Best for journal articles, which are grouped by subject.
Results are shown by Relevance by default. Use Sort By to reorder results by date (newest or oldest) or alphabetically (author or title).
Note: You need to reset this each time you search.
Select Hiram Library from the drop-down to limit your results to our collection. Then choose Books.
If you see a call number under the title, the library owns at least one physical copy. A call number is like an address—it tells you where to find the item in the library.
Pro Tip: Use the Find at Hiram filter on the right to see only physical items and where to find them—like Juvenile for children’s books or Main Collection for most academic titles.
Click the title for more details. If you’re signed in, you can request a chapter scan or place a hold to pick it up at the Ask Here Desk. We’ll email you when it’s ready.
Or, jot down the call number and head to the shelves!
Pro Tip: Scan the QR code at the top of the item record to view the page on your phone.
First, sign in at the top right for full access.
Choose Books or Articles before searching.
Use the Available Online filter on the right to show items you can read immediately.
Click Available Online or Get PDF to open the item and begin reading.
You can request OhioLINK items directly from a OneSearch record.
If an item isn’t available through Hiram or OhioLINK, you can request it through interlibrary loan using our ILL Request Form.
Please allow time for delivery and watch your email for updates and pickup instructions.
Questions?
Contact Terri Foy
Phone: (330)-569-5359
Email: foytm@hiram.edu
Sign in to your library account at the top right to:
Sign in to save items for future use.
Click the pin icon to save individual records or multiple items at once.
In Favorites, you can search your saved items, set alerts, and export citations. Use labels to organize saved records—add multiple labels per item.
When saving multiple items, you can apply one label to all.
Want to come back to something later or share it? Copy the permalink—it’s a stable link that won’t break.
Click the quote mark icon to generate APA, Chicago, or MLA citations you can copy and paste.
Save your search with the pin icon at the top of results; view saved searches under My Favorites. View your last 100 recent searches while signed in.
Share search URLs by copying and pasting the link at the top of the page—these are durable and reusable.
Set RSS or email alerts on saved searches to get notified about new matching items.
Use Advanced Search when you know exactly what you're looking for and you want more control—like searching by title, author, or subject, or narrowing by date, language, or resource type.
Title – Use for books, articles, or series titles. For best results, try “Starts with” if you know how it begins.
Author/Creator – Search by last name first (e.g., Adams, John). This includes authors, editors, illustrators, etc.
Subject – Use subject terms to find specific topics (e.g., Civil rights movements, Shell shock, or Wine—Religious aspects).
Tip: Subjects can overlap—try combining related terms (e.g., “PTSD” OR “combat disorders”).
Want better results? Try these search strategies:
Quotation marks – Search for an exact phrase or title.
Example: "climate change" or “Of Mice and Men”
OR – Search for synonyms or related terms.
Example: anxiety OR stress
AND – Combine ideas.
Example: climate AND policy (default setting)
NOT – Exclude a term.
Example: bears NOT Chicago
Asterisk (*) – Use to find word variations.
Example: educat* finds educate, education, educator, etc.
Tip: Use ALL CAPS for AND, OR, and NOT so the system understands them correctly.
